Stories from Monday, February 6, 2012

Advisory group reviews water plans(02/06/12)Progress on Monett's water system expansion was provided by Utilities Superintendent Pete Rauch before last week's meeting of the Monett City Council's Advisory Committee. The final stretch installing the loop of 12- and 16-inch water mains around the city is about to start. ...

PCHS royalty(02/06/12)Erica Holland and Nick Boggs were crowned as the 2012 Pierce City High School homecoming queen and king Friday night. Holland is the daughter of Karen and William Holland and Boggs is the son Steve and Kris Boggs.
[Times Photo by Melissa Leech]

Weather was a walk in the park(02/06/12)Balmy weather with temperatures in the 60s is hardly typical of early February but area residents enjoyed the respite from winter all last week. Conditions offered the chance for Amanda Blankenship, of Monett, and her daughter, Sienna, to walk their dogs, Lucky and Lulu, around the lake at South Park, where the Canadian geese kept them in sight in case they offered a meal...

Flood plans hit setback(02/06/12)Mayor Jim Orr told members of the Monett City Council's Advisory Board that finding a solution to downtown flooding hit a major setback during recent conversations with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad officials. The city was seeking to acquire property along the northern edge of the rail line to build an alternate channel to Kelly Creek as proposed by the engineering firm of Olsson and Associates...

Arrest totals hold steady(02/06/12)The Barry County Sheriff's Office responded to a total of 12,981 calls during 2011 according to an end-of-year report released by Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly and Jail Administrator Jan Smith. As a result of these incidents, 2,828 charges were recorded, which marks a slight increase of less than a 2 percent. There were 2,824 arrest charges filed in 2010...

Verona aldermen enact new pet law(02/06/12)Verona aldermen enacted an ordinance limiting the number of pets city residents may keep during the council's January meeting. The ordinance limits the number of dogs and cats to three each. Voting in favor of the ordinance were Aldermen George Strawn, Gary Welters and Barbara Allen. Alderman Willis Hutson was absent...

Business announces closing(02/06/12)The Yellow Frog Company, located at Fifth and Broadway in Monett, will be closing, according to owner Amy Tennison. Her husband, Travis Tennison, has been transferred by his employer to Lincoln, N.H., and Amy will be joining him shortly. The store, with its beads and craft supplies, is open by appointment only as the Tennisons pack items for the move. ...

Lock-up raises $16,528(02/06/12)The Greater Ozarks Area Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association raised a record amount at the annual Jail and Bail fundraiser held in Monett on Feb. 1. "We are truly grateful to the people of Barry County and the surrounding area for their support of the MDA," said Jerry Bear, MDA executive director for the Greater Ozarks Chapter. "This was a great year with 61 jailbirds raising over $16,528."...

Eagles earn homecoming win(02/06/12)The Pierce City Eagles caught fire in the second period and never looked back on their way to a 63-39 victory over Lockwood Friday night. "I thought from the second quarter on we played really well," said Pierce City coach Matt Street. "We stepped up our defensive intensity and finished in transition. Tonight was a step in the right direction."...

Southwest boys drop Purdy, 60-49(02/06/12)The Southwest Trojans blitzed the Purdy Eagles early in their Ozark 7 contest at Washburn on Friday night, and the Trojans went on to avenge their earlier loss at Purdy, 60-49. That 51-46 loss to the Eagles has been on the minds of Jason Horn and his Trojans ever since they filed out of the Purdy gym and loaded the bus that night of Dec. 13, 2011. Southwest and Purdy are huge rivals in the Ozark 7, so much so that Southwest observes "blackout" whenever the Eagles come to town...

Purdy gets past Southwest girls(02/06/12)The Purdy Lady Eagles survived against the Southwest Lady Trojans on Friday night at Washburn, escaping with a 56-49 victory. Southwest, which trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter, roared back and trailed by only a deuce with 3:06 to play in the final period. But Addy Roller nailed all six of her free throws in the final three minutes to keep the Lady Eagles undefeated in Ozark 7 play...

Pierce City girls fall in championship(02/06/12)The Pierce City Lady Eagles couldn't warm up from a cold start and fell 59-40 to Crane in the championship of the McAuley Lady Warrior Classic on Saturday. "We couldn't make buckets tonight," said Pierce City coach Tiffany Dirks. "We never got into sync and had no inside game at all. We missed layups, treys and free throws. Crane started hitting 3-pointers in the second half, and the game got away from us."...

Slow start dooms Monett Cubs(02/06/12)The Monett Cubs basketball team fell 51-35 to Bolivar Friday night. The Cub managed 14 first half points, scoring 10 in the first quarter and 4 in the second. The Liberators held a 32-14 halftime lead, and Monett didn't get within 12 points of the Bolivar in the second half...

Monett Cubs undefeated in Diamond Duals(02/06/12)The Monett wrestling Cubs won five head-to-head duals Saturday to take first place in the Diamond Dual. "It was a great way to end the regular season," said Monett wrestling coach Daryl Bradley. "I think that we are peaking at the right time. I'm excited about the upcoming district tournament."...

Leota Roden(02/06/12)Leota F. Roden, age 81, of Cassville, died at 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Mercy Hospital, Springfield.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6 in Fohn Funeral Home, Cassville. Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery, Cassville.

Charles Ellis(02/06/12)Charles C. Ellis, age 86, of Marionville, died at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 in his home. A graveside service, with full military honors, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home, was held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Crane Community Cemetery...